LPC UARTS Reduce Board Space 8x

If you're looking for serial connectivity for factory automation, process controllers, network routers, and single board embedded computers, especially in a small form factor, look no further.

If you’re looking for serial connectivity for factory automation, process controllers, network routers, and single board embedded computers, especially in a small form factor, look no further. Exar just rolled out two UARTS, the XR28V382 and XR28V384 for the Intel Low Pin Count (LPC) motherboard bus.

By providing 128-byte FIFOs, the devices increase data integrity and throughput while reducing board space up to 8x. The XR28V382 is housed in a small 5x5 mm 32-pin QFN with two UART channels. The XR28V384 has four UART channels in a 7x7 mm 48-pin TQFP. Both include Exar’s automatic half-duplex control for RS-485 networks, and are rated for an industrial temperature range. Each UART channel supports serial data rates up to 3 Mbps. The XR28V382 and XR28V384 are priced at $2.40 and $3.50 USD respectively, in 1K-unit quantities.

This announcement comes on the heels of Exar adding the SP338 so that RS-232 and RS-485/422 protocols can share the same communications lines, also targeting industrial or embedded PC applications with dual protocol serial ports. The device is important as the challenge of sharing a single connector between multiple serial protocols.

The device integrates resistors and control switches for multiple RS-485/422 channels, so that the system processor can dynamically enable or disable the termination with a single pin. It includes an enhanced receiver fail-safe on open, shortened, and terminated idle inputs -- external resistor biasing networks and switching components are no longer necessary. Pricing begins at $5.38/unit in 1K quantities, and is currently available in volume quantities.